


Edward Cullen and the Prince of Atlantis

by Caranithil_Chaos



Series: Abandoned Works [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Crossover of Twilight and Harry Potter, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-30 22:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6444700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caranithil_Chaos/pseuds/Caranithil_Chaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward Cullen discovered a mythological creature he never thought that might existed on a beach-a vampiric merman prince named Hadrian. Hadrian, cursed by his cunning and jealous foe to suffer through an agonizing transformation every single day: a human by day and a merman by night.</p><p>War is coming and it is not on land. Rather, it comes from the silent sea that shall not be silenced once more and a great monster will come forth, forged by the prince’s foe that schemed to rule both sea and land and to destroy Hadrian permanently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Transfiguring into Merpeople

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am sad to say this, but this is an abandoned story that is highly likely to never continue. I managed to get as far as three chapters, but that's it. I decided to post the story because it lay there on my desktop for months and I thought that some people deserve to read it and I don't have the guts to delete the story because I put a lot of efforts in it.
> 
> I realized that I made Hadrian in this story a bit too powerful. Ah well, perhaps, anyone who might make a fanfiction out of this or adopt it can change it.
> 
> Also, if you decide to adopt it or just make a fanfiction out of it, just send me the link so I can read it and don't forget to put the credits to me, the original author. However, you all guys have my permission to adopt this story, just let me know and I will update to inform anyone who want to read the story. But if someone else want to adopt the story too and change it, I don't mind. Just as long as the credits are directly to me as this story is my creation.
> 
> Kudos to anyone who read the author's note!

**Chapter One**

_Transfiguring into Merpeople_

 

Thousands of years ago, in 2700 BC, there were once wizards–the sort with a pointy hat, brewing bubbling cauldrons, waving around with a wand, that sort, you know–and they use magic to hid themselves from non-magical people called Muggles. Now, wizards are not the only supernatural beings on earth, there are centaurs, werewolves, faeries, vampires, unicorns, and even merpeople. Prejudiced wizards deemed vampires as dark creatures and shunned them to the point they were rarely seen in wizarding places and other witches and wizards tried to fight for their rights which was repeatedly denied every time.

While vampires begun to form their own society in 300 AD, to blend in with Muggles, or rather their own words, _humans_ , and wizards quarreled among themselves whether the Muggle-born wizards and witches are banned from attending wizarding schools, ignorant of a dark wizard, an orphan, who can speak the snake’s tongue and his growing hatred of Muggles and his terrible life in the orphanage.

He, the dark wizard, fashioned himself a new name and began to making a name for himself, his reputation growing over the years. Everyone thought he will win, after all, he has alarmingly large numbers of allies behind him and he hooked them with his sweet promises of giving them freedom and rights he will never give.

Lord Voldemort, that was the dark’s infamous name, was thought to rule over their homeland, the Britain, until the Dark Lord heard a prophecy of one boy who is prophesized to defeat him. He waited for a year and discovered the boy’s family which his secret spy whispered him their secret location, in the guise of the boy’s father’s best friend. He waited until All Hallows Eve and pursued them, killing the father and the mother instantly. He then turned his wand against the boy and the Killing Curse, the curse that never failed to kill anyone by everyone’s knowledge, turned against him by the boy’s mother’s sacrifice, he didn’t know she secretly used ritual, a life for a life ritual. The Killing Curse turned against to its caster and Lord Voldemort was no more, his ashes lay upon the floor and the air pierced by the child’s wail.

Awed over You-Know-Who’s demise at the hand of a boy–a boy who survived the Killing Curse–and tales spinning about the boy hero, and every child know his name and his title _The Boy Who Lived_. That child, his name is Hadrian “Harry” Potter, unaware of his fame as he grew up with his Muggle relatives on his mother’s side, he lived with his mother’s jealous and bitter sister, Petunia Dursley and her husband and son, Vernon and Dudley Dursley. It was to be said that Harry Potter found a shocking discovery that he is a wizard and shipped off to a boarding school, Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry despite his uncle’s protests. His friendship begun with a ginger-haired boy named Ronald Weasley, (sixth or seventh?) brother of the Weasley family.

Their first adventure against a troll–a miraculous feast, indeed–and they were joined by a bushy-haired girl name Hermione Granger who is subtly shunned by her own House, due to her bossy and know-it-all attitude. However, their adventure together wasn’t done. In fact, it was the first of their many future adventures, for better or for worse. Battling a sixty-foot basilisk, uncovering the truth of his parents’ Secret Keeper, Triwzard Tournament and Cedric Diggory’s death, and his godfather, Sirius Black fell in the Veil when Harry rushed to save him.

Tales whispered in the children’s ears when Harry Potter found out about the prophecy concerning him and the Dark Lord in his fifth year when he was fifteen. The prophecy foretold that one of them must die in order for the other to live. Harry Potter, with the help of the school’s Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, collected Horcruxes, the remaining and valuable objects, containers of Voldemort’s soul pieces.

Not to add, Umbridge’s illegal use of Blood Quills in her detentions in Harry’s sixth year and the final year of all, the hunt for Horcruxes and the Deathly Hallows begun. Many witches and wizards were astonished at Harry Potter’s adventures when they become public. Lord Voldemort is once again gone, this time _for good._ Peace settles over the Wizarding Britain again and everyone were relived that the threat is gone. While the witches and wizards ignorant of the vampire affairs and Muggles were beginning to suspect that they are not the only intelligent race on earth, having caught a glimpse of the magical beings and their memories erased by Oblivators. However, Harry’s own race can live for at least two centuries while Harry Potter stayed seventeen, stuck in his matured teenage body.

Surprisingly, he was accepted by his kind that he was true immortal. His old title _The Boy Who Lived_ was later changed to _The Boy Who Lived Forever_ , his legends and adventures are in bedtime children books, tales to be told to them by their parents at night. As Harry Potter remained alone, his face still young while his closest friends grew older. Hermione laughed fondly at his immortality and told him, “Only you, Harry, only you.” It was understandable that after everything Harry has been through, he became immortal when his rival who hungered for power and immortality died at his hand and how ironic it is to him.

The cause of his immortality was the Deathly Hallows and he is the true Master of Death. Death had appeared before when a Muggle killed him and his wounds healed at astonishing pace and explained everything to him.

Death is eternal, the inevitable, the _End_. It only makes sense if its Master is eternal too. Harry was told that his life partner would not age too or die either, being bond to the Master of Death. However, he can expend his immortality to his future bond one’s family if he wished. He hasn’t found his partner he wishes to spend the rest of his eternity with. He explores his powers, his ability to change in many forms, being a ‘god.’ He is essential a _true god_.

Werewolves have their own packs (though, they don’t often formed one) and vampires formed their own society, a powerful and influential coven called Romanian that rules the vampire world. Muggles discovered the existence of wizards only many decades later and many were slaughtered in bloodshed. Witches and wizards raged a war against Muggles while the vampires stayed in the sideline, not involving in their war (now called the Great War of Purge) waiting. The number of witches and wizards were low and many gathered together and hid themselves from sight. Muggles continue to search for them and even accused some innocent Muggles of having a magical heritage when in reality they don’t. They even have tales surrounded witches and wizards and _The Boy Who Lived Forever_ was one of the ‘mythology’ tales.

Many witches and wizards, at least three hundred survivors from Britain escaped to the sea as it is their only option while other British survivors fled to a different country. The ones that escaped to the sea and the Merfolks were disgruntled at this, but they accepted them nonetheless. Hadrian “Harry” Potter was the one to create a spell that not even a wizard can cast as it required an impossibly amount of _godly_ magic (not even Dumbledore, Grindelward, Riddle combined too) a spell to transform the witches and wizards into merpeople–permanently.

Apparently, Black Lake Merpeople is distant cousins of the Sirens and Merrows. Sirens, while beautiful, lured humans in with their singing voices and consume them to satisfy their hunger. Merrows are similar to the Selkies in the Black Lake, with the common appearance traits of grayish skin, dark green hair and yellow broken teeth.

However, Harry Potter and the survivors learned the ways of Merfolks for a few years before they went off on their own, wanting to have their own village. And they are quite a bit different from all kind of Merfolks.

While their voices don’t screech above the sea like the Selkies of the Black Lake, instead their voices are like songs, singing by lilting voices and they cannot lure people in with their voices like Sirens, though they are exceedingly beautiful. They kept their looks from their former human selves as witches and wizards with only tails to show they are Merpeople. They are closer to the looks of Sirens instead of Selkies. With the small wings-like fins on merpeople’s back, their long and shimmering tail, varied in colors. While merman is bare-chest and sometime decorate their hair with tiny shells, the mermaids cupped their breasts with lovely shells from the beach, used by magic to not fall off. Some of the mermaids used a pin to pull their hair from covering their faces.

They are as beautiful as Sirens–perhaps; even more so–but the most beautiful of them all is Hadrian, gushed the mermaids. With his hair that barely touched his shoulders, his hair magically styled in the ‘windswept’ look. His piercing green eyes, his lithe body, and his otherworldly beauty, enchanted from being a merman and a god.

Surprisingly, the turned Merpeople still have magic within their bodies. The lives combined with being a wizard and a merman gave them longer lives to five centuries or six before they die. While the young merpeople grow into their mature bodies, their looks froze at their mid-twenties, still have their slightly youthful looks, but their hair will turn silver on their about nearly four hundredth birthdays and their face aged slightly with the little wrinkles in the corner of their eyes, the signs of the elder.

Hadrian was a little happy with the strange growth, pleased that at least his people live a little longer than the ordinary wizardkind and merpeople. After all, he is a true immortal, he wouldn’t like if they aged too quickly.

He took a long time to change the wands, transfiguring them into metal bracelets with flowing symbols on it, the symbols of their wands’ cores. Only two merpeople become wandmakers and they are proficient in their occupations due to their longevity.

The bracelets on a wrist act as a channel focus to use their magic like the wands had done, only a little different. The bracelets are permanently sticking to the wrist, spelled by him to keep track of everyone and provide protections like their minds. For newborns, born from the sea instead of land, automatically get a new bracelet that would suit him.

Hadrian would willingly remove the tracking charm if some of his merpeople wished to leave and be on their own.

He and his merpeople swam for weeks as soon as they left the Selkies of the Black Lake. They met vicious predators on the way, like a few sharks that tore some of his merpeople’s flesh to pieces. With the numbers of his merpeople so low, Hadrian continue to lead them until they stumble in a city made of stone and it was _empty_. Ecstatic and overjoyed at finding a new home, they swam to the city and begun building homes and stores. It took many tiring months, years even, but everyone was satisfied with the result, a beautiful and furnished city now gleaming like starlight deep in the sea. The city, now called Atlantis meaning “an ethereal city” in their native language Ancient Greek, is also surrounded by the wards created by their Prince. Their second language is Latin, from wizardkind. Their third is now Mermish, the language of the Merfolks.

As the years passed, Hadrian the only true immortal merman, remained unchanged by time as the merpeople slowly older and the population from two hundred (from being attacked by sharks in their search of a home) to three hundreds and twenty-six in the city with Prince Hadrian (he was called that from his merpeople instead of Merchieftaness like the Selkies of the Black Lake) ruling over them. Hadrian occasionally transfigured the hidden witches and wizards that still walk the lands, the one that are from such as France and Bulgaria, into merpeople. He gave them the options of living in his city or be on their way, either as merman or as their human selves.

Once they heard that he is Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived Forever, and now Prince of Atlantis, they were eager to live in his city that is clearly flourishing under his rules, and few refused him, preferred to be on their own. Tales of the old legends passed down to generation and generation, often used as bedtime stories. One of the most famous stories was, to Prince Hadrian’s dismay, The Boy Who Lived Forever.

Hadrian often ventured into some unknowns, leaving his trusted second-command in charge of his city while he was gone for weeks or even months and when he returned, he always have some newfound treasures in his bag he found in either sea or land. He can change in one of his many forms (he has the ability to change in multiply animals) and to walk the land as though he is a Muggle, though he preferred his current form of a merman. His visits to the lands grew shorter and shorter when a war warring in the lands until they stopped completely many years ago when he was caught by a nosy and curious Muggle and Hadrian had to wipe his memories of seeing him clean.

From what he learned and experienced in the lands in 757 AD, the vampire Romanian coven and its leader he had struck up a tentative friendship with after a rogue vampire turned Hadrian in about mid 500 AD and Hadrian–an immortal being with many of gifts such as changing in multiply animal forms when a wizard can only managed to change into one, not more–resulting in his magical and sea heritages battling the invasion of vampire’s venom when he was changing for a week before it grudgingly settle an agreement.

As a result, he lost his ability to sleep, his senses enchanted as a vampire, his heart no longer beat, his skin icy cold (though he doesn’t sparkle in sunlight due to his wizardry blood and merman) and his looks, which he knew was beautiful, enchanted a little bit, giving him a little pale to his tanned skin, making him exotic and deadly.

And lastly, he craves for blood instead of fishes and meats like he used to.

The Dacians coven found him shortly after his transformation and they helped him settle in and after months of checking in on his city in the sea, he later admitted to the leader who was fast becoming one of his dear friends about his immortality, his magical and sea heritages. His friend was delighted at the discovery and questioned him a lot. Hadrian told him a little bit of the war and his life.

In turn, the leader Dacian explained to him the growing power of the Volturi coven, its leader Aro who have the ability to skim over the past thoughts of their lives. Dacian has one of the abilities to conceal his mind, one of the humans he touched on accident was a bit of psychic and Hadrian unknowingly received the same gift, concealing his mind, though he already have mental shields in place, through a touch, which he discovered much later.

He also learned his vampiric gift was that he can gain other vampire’s gift through a physical touch, the rarest of the ability by accidentally shake hand with one of the members who have the ability to make realistic illusion with her will. Dacian then teaches him since they have the same ability, how to not obtain a vampire’s gift. He trained not to obtain anyone’s gift through physical touch and control it. If he wished to have another gift, like the mind-reading ability, he has to will his gift to possess the same gift through a physical touch. He experimented with his ability, delighted in adding his growing collection of gifts, though; he doesn’t want the Volturi coven to go after him due his existence and his extraordinary and rare gift.

Eventually, Hadrian had to return to his city and give Dacian a special parting gift, a necklace made of tiny beautiful shells with various kind of gems, rubies, emeralds, sapphires he found in the seafloor stored in them which would sing and whisper only to him–even with vampires’ enchanted senses–whenever Hadrian was near and he can ask for help with a whisper of his name and the necklace was charmed to be unbreakable and to appear on Dacian’s person if it was ever stolen or lost.

He also learned that the Dacian coven was usurped by a coven Volturi, founded by Aro, Caius, and Marcus and few survivors escaped, never to be seen again. The immortal children ruined the towns and every vampire is forbid to turn children ever again after the incidents.

He has seen temples that were built by religious workers faltered in time, pyramids were built by slaves and workers collapses and some still stand strong, and then now there are houses of stone that contained royal families and then houses of wood instead of stone as they crumbled. The Muggle’s civilization advanced over the centuries, from horses to carriage to cars.

So many things changed in time, mused Hadrian. If wizardkind knew of his merpeople that transfigured into Merfolks, they would have heart attacks at their willingness to turn into ‘beasts.’ Merpeople that were Hadrian’s group of survivors died of old age with peaceful smiles on their faces, leaving Hadrian the only one to remember of the ancient times. The tales, passed down from their families, contained all kind of the stories of the ancient times they knew to be true, confirmed by Hadrian, unbelievably as it sounded.

He still remember that he once walk on the lands like Muggles, the land-walkers, how it is feel to hold a wand, the demise of Dark Lord Voldemort, Death Eaters, and the Great War of Purge, and lastly, how he was one to transfigured the survivors to escape, so they could _live_. He tells tales to the young merpeople once in a while and in turn, the young merpeople would tell stories they learned to their siblings, families and friends, keeping the memories of the ancient times alive.

“My Prince?” a nervous voice inquired, making Hadrian snapped out of his musings he occasionally falls into. He turned around, facing a fair-haired merman, one of his messengers, his bright blue tail flicking about in nervousness and anxiety.

The legendary _Prince Hadrian_ is standing mere feet in front of him, thought the anxious messenger, the prince that his sisters always talk about, hoping to marry him one day and become a princess. He heard that the Prince never married, always disappearing off to some unknowns, how his heart is made of stone for he never show a smile on his face in front of the public. That he is the only immortal being–a _god!_ –in the city and his otherworldly beauty amaze many of the merpeople of Atlantis when they managed to catch a glimpse of him. The Prince that saved them, rule and guide them, striving to protect them.

His sisters are right, he is the most beautiful merman in the seas, thought the messenger, gazing at Prince Hadrian’s tail which is a deep shade of emerald green matched his piercing green eyes that contained the stars of the galaxies, another sign of his godly status. He wore a simply golden crown with the emeralds adorned it, proving that he is not an impostor of the Prince. The crown was never taken off because Prince Hadrian spelled it to stay on his head and no matter how many times some merpeople tried to get it off, it never did. Not only that, if anyone miraculously take the crown off and wear it, they will get cursed due to the multiply protections he put on it.

And Prince Hadrian would look strange without the crown. He always wore it on his head in public.

The messenger blushed when he realized he stared a little too long at his Prince and from the bored indifferent look on his face, he was used to it being stared at and rightly so!

“Yes, what is it?” Prince Hadrian asked, his face blank, but he was secretly amused at the young merman’s gaping face when he entered.

The merman blinked his eyes rapidly and bowed respectfully to him. “General Naldius wished me to inform you that the celebration is staring in a few minutes and he want to remind you to take a few weeks off of being,” the messenger flushed red as he stammered, “a ‘cold-hearted bastard’ when the celebration is over.”

Hadrian’s lips twitched at the message of his dear friend, Naldius, his trusted general and second-in-command, one of the descendants of Bill and Fleur Weasley. “Ah, well, thank you for informing me of the message. You may go.” he waved his hand dismissively and the messenger look half-disappointed and half-relieved to be out of his presence and no doubt telling his sisters about his encounter with the Prince.

When the door about to close, a feminine figure quickly swam in the room before it was shut locked, her long and dark red hair danced about at her elbows.

“Hadrian,” the mermaid murmured as though his name is like a prayer on her lips. She drifted closer to him and Hadrian gave her an icy glare she seemed to ignore.

“Ginevra,” his voice was sharp and cold. “You know you do not have the permission to be here and neither do you have the permission to use my name freely. It is Prince Hadrian to you and I was lenient not to let the wards harm you because you are Naldius’s sister. I will not be so lenient next time.”

It annoyed him to no end that the mermaid is as persistent as her namesake Ginevra Weasley, but at least she married Dean Thomas. Too bad this one refuse to marry anyone but him.

“It’s Eva,” she murmured again, her voice low and seductive, seemingly unaffected by his harsh words. She moved an inch closer to him, her eyes dark. “You know I love only you, my love, only _you_. Mas is desirable as well, but I will always choose you over him in the end because he is a plaything. My heart is yours to hold, my soul is for you gaze upon, my body is yours to caress–I am your rightful companion, _cannot you not see it_?” her hand reached out to touch his cheek in desperation and Hadrian, quick as lightning, grabbed her wrist tightly before it even touch his skin.

“Once again, I will disappoint you, Ginevra. My companion is _not you_. Accept it and be gone. You are hereby banished from the palace forevermore. Enter once again and you will be banned from Atlantis.” Hadrian’s voice is as hard as steel as he let go of Ginevra’s wrist and she jerked back, her face showed surprise and shock at his willingness to ban her from Atlantis.

“You wouldn’t dare. I am Naldius’s sister.” Ginevra told him bravely, but uncertainness entered her quivering voice. Hadrian wouldn’t let her know it was simply a bluff.

“Be that as it may, Naldius’s sister or not, I am the Crowned Prince of Atlantis,” Hadrian stood tall to his full height and looked down at her, lightly releasing some of his magic and it filled the room, almost suffocating Ginevra as she moved away from him with a cry of surprise. The magic was intimidating to her and never had she feel so much of his magic.

“And Naldius obeyed _me._ ”

When the words parted from Hadrian’s lips, he willed Ginevra to be lifted, she thrashed and screamed–even though she was physically unharmed–but found her voice was silenced. She was carried out to the door and then out in the stone halls. Her face was horrified and humiliated at being seen levitating in front of him when merpeople casted her pitying looks, knowing that she is not the first mermaid that tried to persuade Hadrian to bedded her, even though she has an affair with a merman.

Then Hadrian canceled the spell and Ginevra was released, her face was burning red with embarrassment. He saw her gave him a fierce glare and he stared back with a bored indifferent face in return which infuriated her even more and she turned her back to him, swimming away haughtily.

“Idiotic mermaid,” murmured Hadrian as he leaned his forehead against edge of the window, a crowd was already forming around in the center of the city, eagerly await his usual annual speech of the anniversary of their survival at escaping from the hands of the land-walkers and after his speech, there will be a celebration that includes dancing and singing.

He just hoped nothing big will happen today, but he got the strangest feeling that there is a big surprise in store for him, for better or for worse, he doesn’t know.


	2. Fighting Against Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward Cullen discovered a mythological creature he never thought that might existed on a beach-a vampiric merman prince named Hadrian. Hadrian, cursed by his cunning and jealous foe to suffer through an agonizing transformation every single day: a human by day and a merman by night.
> 
> War is coming and it is not on land. Rather, it comes from the silent sea that shall not be silenced once more and a great monster will come forth, forged by the prince’s foe that schemed to rule both sea and land and to destroy Hadrian permanently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am sad to say this, but this is an abandoned story that is highly likely to never continue. I managed to get as far as three chapters, but that's it. I decided to post the story because it lay there on my desktop for months and I thought that some people deserve to read it and I don't have the guts to delete the story because I put a lot of efforts in it.
> 
> I realized that I made Hadrian in this story a bit too powerful. Ah well, perhaps, anyone who might make a fanfiction out of this or adopt it can change it.
> 
> Also, if you decide to adopt it or just make a fanfiction out of it, just send me the link so I can read it and don't forget to put the credits to me, the original author. However, you all guys have my permission to adopt this story, just let me know and I will update to inform anyone who want to read the story. But if someone else want to adopt the story too and change it, I don't mind. Just as long as the credits are directly to me as this story is my creation.
> 
> Kudos to anyone who read the author's note!

**Chapter Two**

_Fighting Against Yourself_

 

Edward Anthony Masen was his birth name, given by his biological parents in 1901, and now he is Edward Cullen, adopted son of Carlisle and Esme Cullen, brother of Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice.

He has many identities and all of them are connected to parts of his life. He was a human in 1918, but he wasn’t one now. He is a vampire, a soulless monster, but even monsters have feelings and regrets. He regretted rebelling against Carlisle, giving him a hard time when he went to be on his own for a few years. He loves his siblings because they are his family in all but blood. He loves Carlisle, who is the fatherly figure in his life instead of his biological father who shared his name. Though, Esme will never replace his loving mother, Elizabeth, she, too, become a motherly figure in his vampiric life.

Rosalie has Emmett, Jasper has Alice, and even Carlisle has Esme, all of them, but him. He never had a crush on someone back in his human life. He did thought some people are attractive, but he was too focused on his family and himself to develop any crush and he continuously rebuffed any attempt from a girl or a boy that wanted to date him. They were not interesting to him, anyway.

And as for Bella… she’s interesting. Her blood was alluring and her mind cannot be read. That makes her interesting to him. He unconsciously ignored a small part of his consciousness that asking will he still love her if he can read Bella’s mind.

But now Edward wasn’t sure what to think of Rosalie’s reaction of Bella’s presence in their home. He knew she disliked her greatly because she was a human and also because she could be a danger to them if she ever decides to spill their secrets. He often wondered about their relationship. He is a vampire, a soulless monster, and he wasn’t sure what Bella ever see in him. Why would she want to be with a soulless monster that desperately tries not to suck her sweet-smelling and enticing blood every time he was near her?

He believed he may never find out.

Bella is a lovely, though plain, human with a quiet and curious personality. The way she accepted Edward being a vampire only increased her loveliness in his eyes. She may accept him now, but she still hasn’t seen him when he hunts, dangerous and deadly. He doesn’t want her to become wary around him, even though he knew she should be. Her naïve and innocent view of life was occasionally refreshing at times, but sometime it was slightly annoying. He simply ignored it because everyone has flaws and this is just one of hers.

He could lose control if his bloodlust is not sated and controlled. Normally, if humans find out about a vampire, they would cringe away in fear of being sucked dry, not that he will drink their blood considering he’s living a ‘vegetarian’ lifestyle. Bella was one of the few humans he met who accepted what he is. Her blood used to be sweet, enticing like wine, but now that he had tasted it when James bitten her arm and he had to suck the venom out. Her blood no longer smell tempting and alluring like before.

To be truthful, her blood is like an ordinary human’s blood. One thing he loves most about her was that he cannot read her mind. Sometime it was frustrating and at the same time, it was a blessing.

Right now, it is frustrating because he simply doesn’t understand why Bella would give up her human life in order to be with him, as a vampire. She would _faint_ at the sight of blood for God’s sake! Not only that, he also doesn’t want to damn her soul, no matter how many times Carlisle said that vampires do have souls. He will believe it if someone have the undeniable proof in front of him.

Watching Bella asleep was intriguing because he hasn’t been asleep for years ever since he was turned because vampires can’t sleep. Her chest rise and fall with each gasp or groan as she clutched her pillows, her dreams haunting her. He can take a guess that it was her looking old again and he was there in her dream, still seventeen. He refused to turn her, no matter how many time she pleaded or complained.

Once, she dared to ask that if he truly loves her, he should turn her because she is a mortal and what was wrong with wanting to be with him forever? He was beginning to suspect that being with him was not the only reason she wished to turn into a vampire. Was she so afraid of death that she would damn her own soul to delay her eventual demise for as long as she could? She claimed that her other reason that Victoria is still out for revenge because James was killed.

Still, he doesn’t think her reasons are sufficient to turn her.

Was Rosalie right, then? Does Bella only like him because he is a vampire? How he dearly would like to take a peek in her mind to see her thoughts, regardless of invasion of privacy. It was for his peace of mind, really. He remembers Carlisle mentioned that Bella is his _la tua cantante_ , an Italian expression mean ‘singer.’ He remember how sweet her blood tastes when it was in his mouth, how it was so exquisite he never want to stop drinking because it was like the finest wine–

“Edward,” he heard Bella murmured his name like a prayer and he paused in his thoughts and watched her thrashing around in her bed, her hair stick to her sweaty forehead.

She whispered his name again before she lays still, her eyelids twitching ever so slightly with images in her dreams.

Edward couldn’t help but sigh and he gently shut the window he had opened when he went to watch her sleep. He ran to his home, his feet light and graceful like a deer. Grass smelt as wet and sweet as ever with scattered flowers blooming. He can hear the rapid beats of chirping birds’ heart, the pulsing blood in the veins of wandering animals in the forest nearby. It makes him feel slightly alive, like he was a human again.

He stood at the front porch of his home, listening if any of his family members are present, even though he knew they are not. Carlisle is working in a hospital; Esme is designing a new house for others in Olympia. Alice is shopping with Rosalie, and Jasper and Emmett are hunting.

And the sun is barely even rising.

Edward breathed in the air; he can smell their lingering scents and it comfort him. He swallowed heavily and decided to take a quick trip to his favorite beach. The beach is not in La Push reservation, he had made sure of it. He remembered how he had stumbled upon the beach one day while he was hunting and his prey had escaped and he had stood there, his prey already escaped from him, wonder and awe in his eyes as he gazed at the setting sun with brilliant red and golden painting the darkening sky.

Now he is going there again. He needs the relaxation and the beach will provide it. He knew it will be cloudy today because of Alice’s prediction and he was going to skip the school today anyway, sun or no sun. He took off his shoes and socks and wiggled his toes; the sand brushed against his skin. He debated himself for a second before pulled his shirt out.

Edward breathed in the air with a content smile on his lips for a moment before he took off, running to the beach.

~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~

Hadrian was not pleased to be sitting on his throne all day as he watched merman and mermaids danced, their lilting voice singing beautifully. He closed his eyes as he listened to the songs that washed over him, soothe his restless mind. He knew many of the merpeople were staring at him in the corner of their eyes while a gaggle of mermaids giving him coy smiles. He didn’t usually show himself often in the village, only went out on treasure hunt, or collect information from the lands. He rarely shows himself willingly among the village and they were eager to take advantage of that while he remained in the celebration.

“Enjoy yourself, my Prince?” his general, Naldius, swam to him, his tail flicking about behind him as he settled next to him. Hadrian glanced over to him with a raised eyebrow.

“No, when I ever enjoy myself in the celebrations, old friend?” he said dryly and Naldius chuckled heartily in reply.

“Never, my Prince,” Naldius teased. Hadrian’s lips twitched, tempted to smile, but he restrained himself, his face perfectly blank as he watched a mermaid approached them with confidence that she seem to be losing with every step she took.

“Here is your chance to join the celebration, my old friend, so you can smile,” whispered Naldius, eyeing the mermaid curiously. Hadrian frowned at him. “I do smile, Naldius. You’ve seen it.”

“Only to me, not to everyone, Hadrian,”

“My friends–even _you_ , Naldius–have seen my smile.”

“And who are your other friends, Hadrian? I know I am the only one you share some of your secrets–secrets you held tightly to your chest–to me. I know you _do_ have friends,” he added hastily, seeing the look on Hadrian’s face. “But they are merely acquaintances, allies, _not friends_.”

“My Prince?” the mermaid that bravely approached them, swam to him and stopped in front of him. The mermaid’s tail is as pale as a pink shell, her slightly dark shoulder-length hair brushed against her arms as she bowed respectfully to him and then she do same to General Naldius who inclined his head.

“Yes, little mermaid?” the mermaid’s face flushed at his acknowledgment of her presence and she clasped her hands together nervously. Hadrian mused at her newfound courage.

“Prince Hadrian, I would like to request General Naldius to dance with me,” she asked as she tried to stare at him in the eye, but her eyes flicked down after the brief eye-contact with Hadrian.

“I am not the general, little mermaid,” Hadrian’s voice tinted with slight amusement. “You will have to ask him yourself, however if it provide some comfort, you have my approval.”

“General Naldius, will you dance with me?” asked the increasingly nervous mermaid. Naldius, his dearest friend, smiled at her brightly. “But of course I will, little lady,” making the mermaid beamed at him.

Naldius paused and leaned down to Hadrian’s ear and whispered to him. “Don’t forget to take a week off or two, my friend. You need a break–a _long_ one–you should relax and let me lighten your shoulders so I can be responsible for the city for as long as I can. Heavens know you need the break!” He grinned at him and swims to the mermaid who introduced herself as Lilliaha.

Hadrian sighed to himself and forced a polite smile on his face when another mermaid approached him, with a flirtatious smile, twirling the locks of her hair with her finger.

She bowed to him, smiling ever so slyly with a gleam in her eyes. “Prince Hadrian–” she was by interrupted by a high-pitched screech that has Hadrian stiffened and another similar voice joined in, screaming a battle-cry. A loud whistle of a spear shot through sea and went through the mermaid’s chest, killing her instantly. Her face was twisted in pain and surprise, her now-glassy eyes glazing over in the distance.

“Aapeion!” he heard Naldius commanded and the leader of Atlantis watchers swam to them with frantic desperation. “My Prince! The Merrows are attacking the watchers and the guards!”

Hadrian murmured a curse in Latin before he went to General Naldius and Aapeion to fight off the Merrows. When they swim to the outer ward of Atlantis, joining the battle, though they knew the Merrows cannot penetrate the wards Hadrian created many centuries ago. So why they are attacking now, out of all the times?

He should have done something when Aapeion informed him with his report of a strange pack of Merrows (who are distant cousins of the Selkies of the Black Lake) that arrived near their location several years ago, their appearance all wrong and abnormal. They had tried to get close to the merpeople of Atlantis once and they cautiously welcomed the outsiders with the hesitant approval of Hadrian, but after their attempt to kidnap Hadrian, they were banished from Atlantis.

It turned out that the Merrows desired to look like them, the most beautiful Merfolks other than Sirens. Even worse that was the Merrows would sometime attempted to kidnap Hadrian to find his secret of transfiguring the non-sea creatures into merpeople and they wanted to take over the beautiful city, Atlantis. Hadrian never buckled when he was kidnapped, even under torture.

After the seventh attempt of kidnapping, the Merrows mysteriously disappeared without a trace, no evidence of their existence beside the location they inhabited.

“Look! There they are!" one of the watchers cried out, pointing at the approaching Merrows. They were holding long and sharp at the end spears and a ragged knife in another hand. The Merrow that led them let out a high-pitched battle cry and charged with two long twin daggers in his hands.

Hadrian’s group charged as well, with only their spears and small knives. They are at a disadvantage, thirty-odd merpeople of Atlantis against fifty Merrows and they were quite outnumbered because Atlantis is a peaceful city, beside the once in a while threat that is easily deal with. Hadrian cursed in his mind and he swore to recruit more guards in the near future when he has the time to do so.

Another spear sing in the sea and a merman quickly moved out of the way, barely missing as a long, red wound appeared on his side.

Hadrian was fighting side by side with his dear and only trusted friend, Naldius as they started to ward off of the Merrows’ surprise attack. Blood is everywhere and agonized screams continued to ring in his ears non-stop. Hadrian ignored them with difficulty of his screaming Merpeople and his eyes caught a glimpse of a Merrow barking out orders and then suddenly, every Merrows swam up and Hadrian was forced to follow them, leaving Atlantis, along with the remainders of the guards and watchers.

They would be exposed, he knew; if land-walkers catch a glimpse of them fighting over the seas, but luckily they are miles away from the land.

No land-walker will see them now.

~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~

Edward was enjoying himself for a few hours, lost in the waves and his thoughts before the phone rang, snapping him out of languid trance. He walked lazily toward it and dried his hands with his shirt before picking up the phone.

 _“Edward?”_ It was Bella’s voice and Edward swallowed, thinking up a plausible excuse why he wasn’t at her house as usual.

“Yes, Bella?” he kept the reluctance out of his voice as he replied neutrally.

_“Edward, I thought you were going to drive me to school today?”_

“I am not going to school today, Bella.”

 _“What? Why?”_ demanded Bella. Edward chose his words carefully. “I am hungry. I was hunting before you called.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, he only omitted a little bit. He was actually hunting fishes and once he caught them, he releases them and attempts to catch them again. He was a little hungrier than before because he hasn’t eaten since last morning. He planned to hunt some large animals in the forest behind his home and then go to his bedroom and listen to music all day.

Bella was silent and he heard her breathing in the phone. He imagined that she was playing with her hair with a concerned frown on her face.

_“But your eyes are topaz the last time I saw you, Edward.”_

“Yes, but I’m _hungry_ now, Bella. I need to hunt to sate my bloodlust so I don’t lose control around humans if they accidentally cut themselves.”

_“Your self-control is fine, Edward, the last time I checked. You didn’t bite me when I am around, do you? Wait–was it because of my blood that worsens it? Is it still enticing like before?”_

Edward hesitated at this. He got the oddest feeling that he shouldn’t tell her that her blood lose its appeal to him long ago. Apparently, his hesitation made her panicked. _“Edward, does that mean I can’t be around you now?”_

“No, no, it’s fine!” interrupted Edward before Bella panicked even more and call the others. He doesn’t want others to involve with this. “It’s just that your blood doesn’t bothering me anymore. Don’t worry about being not around me.”

 _“Oh,”_ there was an odd tone in her voice that made him paused. She sounded conflicted, both disappointed and anxious for some reasons he cannot fathom and something else he can’t exactly pinpoint on. She seems to shake it off whatever was on her mind because she spoke again.

 _“So, you will come back after you are done?”_ asked Bella. Edward sighed and glanced at the hidden sun. He doesn’t want to spend all of his free time with her.

“Yes, Bella, I will come back. I have to go now,” he was about to hang up before Bella cried out, _“Wait!”_

He suddenly got the dreaded feeling in his stomach. He can guess what she was going with this by the desperate plea in her voice. _“Have you thought about our discussion last week?”_

“Yes…” he admitted. He had thought about it all day and night. And yet he can’t help but trying to find more reasons to not turn her. He felt that he was missing something vital. What he is missing, that he don’t know, not in the slightest. He got a feeling that he will find out soon and it filled him with unexplainable anticipation.

 _“Well?”_ Edward heard Bella asked impatiently. He massaged his temple lightly, knowing that if he wasn’t a vampire right now, he would have a massive migraine from her impatience and desire to become a vampire.

“I have spent long time thinking about it. My answer is still no, Bella.”

 _“But how are we going to stay together forever–”_ he cut her off, feel a familiar sharp pang of hunger and his throat burned. “We will discuss this later. I need to hunt _now._ ”

 _“I’m not giving this up, Edward! I love you, but I don’t want to wait forever. I can’t keep growing older while you stay eternally young. I don’t want to look old enough to be your grandmother! I will_ die _before it happens.”_ Bella promised solemnly and then the line was disconnected.

Edward looked down at his phone, murmuring, and his face sad. “I know, but I am still not turning you.”

~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~

Goddess, when will the battle ever ended? Hadrian thought as he stabbed a Merrow and he fell dead.

A quiet whistle of a spear alerted Hadrian and his group of another attack and the group parted instantly in the middle and the flying spear missed its intended target. And the battle begun again, picking up from where they left off. Knives and spears were flying, their speed and damage boosted by magic. Cries of pain flooded Hadrian’s ears once more and a yelp froze him and he saw a few Merrows were dragging a heavily wounded merman toward somewhere and he swam after them desperately.

The Merrows occasionally throw pointy rocks at him and he had to dodge, sometime slow down in his pursue. He didn’t realize he was getting farther away from his group and he didn’t notice a Merrow sneakily crept behind him and throw a heavy net adorned with multiply broken shells to wound him if he every try to escape.

Hadrian grunted as he grabbed the net, ignoring the sharp pains in his palms and he tried to stretch it so it could snap and break. He was surprised to when the net didn’t break like he expected it to. He frowned, struggling fruitlessly and more cuts appeared on his body as he thrashed around furiously. He halted in his struggle when he felt a spear poked his shoulder sharply and knew he has been caught.

“Move!” a Merrow grunted as he gave another hard poke of his spear and Hadrian winced, reluctantly moved with difficultly as the net slide uncomfortably around his tail. His undead unearth twitched at the merman he tried to save was already dead. The Merrow glared at him and pointed toward a pack of Merrows that is rapidly approaching them.

Hadrian’s eyes widen in surprise when a familiar voice purred. “My, my, poor little Hadrian. Caught and alone with the big, bad sharks.”

“Ainsley,” Hadrian sneer his name in disgust, his body jerked back in the net. Ainsley smiled at him, but it wasn’t a nice smile. It was the same way a shark that would smiled at a seal that didn’t know it is dead yet.

“Hadrian, are you not glad to see me? Tut, tut, what atrocious manners you have.” Ainsley murmured and then he turned away from him, beckoned to someone. A Merrow swam hastily away from Ainsley’s army and stood in front of his leader, holding a bundle of cloth.

“Bind him,” commanded Ainsley and the Merrow immediately unfolded the bundle, admitting two golden cuff bracelets and bended down. Hadrian watched him warily, curious to know what Ainsley was binding. When the cool metal of a cuff bracelet met his skin, Hadrian felt his arm tingle unpleasantly, his breath hitched at the sudden pressure as though an elephant is sitting on his chest. His magic, always endless and free, now suddenly bind, like a serpent wrap around his magical core and squeeze.

Somehow, his enchanted senses were suddenly muffled. Horror washed over him.

“No,” breathed Hadrian, realization dawned on his face. Ainsley laughed out a loud at the look on his face.

“So you know what I have done. I have bound your magic and I even added a lovely little extra I think you will enjoy!” Ainsley was saying all this with a wicked smirk on his face and Hadrian felt a foreboding chill ran on his spine at the victorious and sadistic glee in his eyes.

Ainsley continued, still smiling. “You see, the extra is a curse I invented specifically for you. You will turn into a land-walker from the moment the sun rise and back in this,” he gestures toward Hadrian’s scaly tail, “when the sun set, but that is not the only thing. You will suffer through an agonizing transformation every single day of your life until it is removed by me. Which is forever, really because I will never remove it.”

He chuckled, clasping his hands together. “Enough of this. Eoli, stab him.” a Merrow behind Hadrian’s back shifted and then suddenly fiery pain roared through his veins and he groaned, wearily glance down at the glint of spearhead covered in his blood, protrude out of his abdomen. He faintly hears some murmurs of commands and then long seaweed wrapped around his head, concealing his sight.

He wondered what ritual Ainsley used to bind his magic. Considering he is quite powerful, it must take a lot of work.

He knew he was being dragged for hours and he felt the waves lapping against him, sand brushed against his scaly tail comfortingly. He knew he was near a beach. He pondered on Ainsley’s purpose of bringing him to a beach. Did he plan to leave him there, bleeding? Everyone know he attained True Immortality, so he must have a motive for this.

He suppose so since he was still trapped by the net and the Merrows lifted him and dropped him on sand. He winced at another sharp sting of pain in his abdomen when he landed on his side. He wondered if he will change now the sun is rising because back in the battle when he was pursuing the Merrows, it was night.

“Don’t worry,” he heard Ainsley whispered to him. “I _am_ merciful. You will not change until the next sunrise. Be grateful for this small act of mercy.”

And then they were gone, like ghostly phantoms of the sea.


	3. Rescuing by a Vampire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward Cullen discovered a mythological creature he never thought that might existed on a beach-a vampiric merman prince named Hadrian. Hadrian, cursed by his cunning and jealous foe to suffer through an agonizing transformation every single day: a human by day and a merman by night.
> 
> War is coming and it is not on land. Rather, it comes from the silent sea that shall not be silenced once more and a great monster will come forth, forged by the prince’s foe that schemed to rule both sea and land and to destroy Hadrian permanently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am sad to say this, but this is an abandoned story that is highly likely to never continue. I managed to get as far as three chapters, but that's it. I decided to post the story because it lay there on my desktop for months and I thought that some people deserve to read it and I don't have the guts to delete the story because I put a lot of efforts in it.
> 
> I realized that I made Hadrian in this story a bit too powerful. Ah well, perhaps, anyone who might make a fanfiction out of this or adopt it can change it.
> 
> Also, if you decide to adopt it or just make a fanfiction out of it, just send me the link so I can read it and don't forget to put the credits to me, the original author. However, you all guys have my permission to adopt this story, just let me know and I will update to inform anyone who want to read the story. But if someone else want to adopt the story too and change it, I don't mind. Just as long as the credits are directly to me as this story is my creation.
> 
> Kudos to anyone who read the author's note!

**Chapter Three**

_Rescuing by a Vampire_

 

Hadrian was lying on the sand in agony, groaning and moaning at the occasional sharp sting of pain in his abdomen every time he moves. He glanced down and the blood pooled around his waist. He felt another irritating itch on his shoulder and he can’t even lift his arm to reach it. Sometime, it is a curse to be a vampire that never slept.

His scaly tail is burning up by the harsh glare of the sun. Normal merpeople would perish by staying out of the sea too long. Not him, never him. He may be burned, beaten, or tortured, but he will never die.

He fervently hoped that Naldius know he won’t be back to the sea for a long while. His dear and old friend has enough experience of being in charge while he often out and walk on the lands a thousand years ago. Though he stopped visiting the land as a land-walker, but he didn’t stop traveling all over the sea, learning and collecting information.

“What–?”

Hadrian peered up at a shocked and astonished face staring down at him. The handsome stranger seems to shake his shock off and knelt down beside him. His face was filled with determination to help him. His dark golden eyes inspected his still-bleeding abdomen wound.

He tilted his head to one side to study him more thoroughly. The stranger has pale skin and an angular face. He has soft-looking coppery hair. Inhumanly beautiful. He looked young, as though he is still in school. He is trying to free him from the tangled net, but it seems to stick on his body. He closed his eyes again and groaned when he felt a strong arm went touched his back, carefully not to touch the spear’s end to avoid injure him further and his other arm wrap around his tail.

His rescuer kept murmuring to him repeatedly: “I’m sorry.”

He wondered why he was apologizing until he stand up, lifting him up. The small movement caused the spear to dig in deeper in his abdomen and he hissed sharply.

Hadrian ignored another murmur of apology, concentrating on his wound to heal it quickly like usual. He hissed again when the golden cuff bracelets on his wrists turned almost sizzling hot warningly at his attempt of using magic and it turned cold once again. So, he has to let it heal in time.

“We’re here,” said his rescuer.

Opening his eyes again, Hadrian was surprised to see a nice-looking house in front of them. His rescuer–he will have to find out his rescuer’s name sooner or later–carried him to a bedroom and laid him gently on the bed on his side, mindful of the protruded spear. He barely hears him murmur to him, “I will be right back.”

He didn’t pay attention when his rescuer returned with small towels and first-aid kit. He didn’t see his rescuer wiped his bloodied face with infinite gentleness and cut the net open, slowly pulling it off. He didn’t move his body, his eyes only blinked rapidly when the net was removed and then there were fingers probing around his wounded abdomen, light as a feather.

His only reaction was arching his back from the bed as the spear was pulled out. The wound bleed more heavily than before and his abdomen was cleaned and then bandaged up after his savior stopped the bleeding.

He closed his eyes, relieved to have the spear out as it was painful to have it in his abdomen for hours. Then he felt his tail was dabbed by a wet towel. He unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. He heard his savior chuckled. He was struck by how musical it sounded, like a tinkling bell. If his chuckle sounds beautiful like that, then his laugh must be truly exquisite thing to hear.

“I suppose you must be wondering who I am,” said the bronze-haired boy as he dipped the towel in a bowl, wetting it again and put it on his tail, soothing the burn. “My name is Edward.”

His fingers brushed against his scales and he stroked his tail, fingertips barely touching. Hadrian held in a shudder when his rescuer–Edward, he reminded himself–gazed at his body with intensity in his eyes, along with curiosity and awe at the supposed mythological creature lying before him.

“I will go get the tank. I can’t believe I _forgot_ it–” it was like he vanished and then appeared again, holding a large tank filled with salty water that smelt slightly like sea. Hadrian was once again lifted by his rescuer and gently put in the tank and he sighed happily. The water lapping against his skin, soothe the heat he had suffered under the glare of the sun. He opened his eyes–he doesn’t remember they were closed in the first place–and saw his rescuer was staring at him. He looked startled and then he smiled sheepishly.

“I am sorry for staring,” he murmured, looking at Hadrian with his soulful eyes. “It’s just that I never knew you exist. I am a vampire and I know there are shape-shifters, but I wasn’t aware that your kind existed too. I–” he hesitated before continuing. “I would like to know the name of the one I saved.”

Hadrian stared at him, debating whether to tell the boy ( _Edward_ , his conscious whispers) his name. He is one of the supernatural creatures too, a vampire who rescued him.

 _“I am Hadrian, Prince of Atlantis,”_ he decided, realized too late he had spoken in Mermish. The boy– _Edward_ –looked half confused and half fascinated at the musical chimes came out of Hadrian’s mouth.

“I am sorry, but I don’t understand that,” Edward apologized. Hadrian spoke again, this time in English instead of Mermish, his lilting voice thickened with a strange accent from speaking Mermish for centuries. “I said my name is Hadrian, Prince of Atlantis, land-walker.”

Edward looked surprised and disbelieving. “A _prince_ , you say? I’m curious to ask, what exactly are you? Why are you injured?”

Hadrian nodded, struggling to make his speech understandable as he hasn’t spoken in English for so long. “I–I will craft a gift for you, as a symbol of my gratitude. I am called a merman and my injuries were due to a battle I fought in the sea recently.” he hesitated and then continued on. “I was tricked and I got captured for it. I got the cuff bracelets that bind my abilities and I was cursed to transform into a land-walker on each day when the sun rises and return to my form at night. It will be painful,” he grimaced.

Edward looked about to respond when suddenly froze as though he had heard something, his head tilting to one side. Hadrian was mystified when his rescuer’s lips suddenly blurred and it was like he was singing, his voice high and clear, like a tinkling bell. He only caught a few words like “badly injured”, “on a beach”, and “Carlisle”.

Who is Carlisle?

He frowned at his dulled senses and shook his head. He will adapt to it and slowly let his magic leak until he remove the curse somehow. Consider Ainsley enjoying seeing him in pain, the pain probably is worse than a werewolf’s transformation and he will go through it every single day.

What luck, he thought bitterly.

The door swung opened to admit a petite woman with short and spiky hair. Hadrian flinched and shrank back when she squealed happily, exclaiming loudly. “Jasper, Carlisle– _everyone,_ look at what Edward has in his room! Oh, how wonderful! I didn’t _see_ this!”

Several pale and inhumanly beautiful people appeared soon after the petite woman’s exclaim and they all looked at him with wonder and awe in their golden eyes, like Edward’s, but lighter and brighter.

“Oh my goodness,” a woman with light brown shoulder-length wavy hair and kind eyes stepped forward “Is he alright?”

“I am well, my fair lady.” Hadrian said politely, half-bowed at the waist with his hands behind his back. The kind woman beamed, an embarrassed smile on her face, though there is no flush on her face, confirming his suspicion of her species.

“Edward?” a tall man with blond hair inquired in a gentle voice, his eyes kind like the woman beside him.

“Like I said, Dad, I found him on a beach. I did what I could.”

The blond-haired man stepped forward, meeting the merman’s eyes, gesturing to his bandaged torso. “May I see?”

Hadrian hesitated and then nodded. He was gently lifted out of the tank and put on a rectangle table. In a flash, Edward have a towel covered his entire tail and another one in his hand, offering to Hadrian and he accepted it with a tentative smile, put it on his forehead.

He sighed at the cool touch of Edward’s father on his chest. The man who inspected him carefully have an odd puzzled look on his face.

“Your wound is healing along quite nicely,” he said as he stepped back, “but your heartbeat doesn’t beat, your skin is cold like mine. I assume this is normal for you?”

Hadrian nodded. _“Yes, it is normal, land-healer. Merpeople’s hearts do beat and don’t have icy-cold skin. I was bitten by a vampire when I wandered the land as a land-walker.”_

The healer’s face was blank, frowning in confusion and intrigue. He realized he was speaking in Mermish again and repeated his words in English, this time.

“I apologize for speaking not speaking in your language, land-healer,” he added, with a half-bow at the waist. The healer waved his apology away dismissively, smile on his face. “There is no needed. I believe I will introduce ourselves as you are my patient and guest. I am Carlisle Cullen.”

He gestured toward to a blond-haired woman, she seemed to have a permanent scowl on her face, but as she gazed at him, the scowl faded away to a small, intrigued smile on her face. “This is Rosalie.”

“I am pleased to meet you, my fair lady,” said Hadrian as Rosalie looked pleased at his compliment and she flipped her long hair over her shoulder, smugness radiate from her body. The Healer seemed amused at this and introduced Jasper Hale who has the similar looks to Rosalie, Alice, the petite woman with spiky hair, beaming with a knowing smile that usually mean she know something before everyone, Esme, Carlisle’s kind wife, and Emmett, the bulky one who stared at him curiously along with awe and amazement.

When it was Hadrian’s turn of introduction, he told them simply, “I am Hadrian, Prince of Atlantis” and ignoring everyone’s surprise, excluding Edward.

Carlisle turned to Edward, raising a questioning brow. “I believe you have met Edward.”

“Yes,” agreed Hadrian. “I am forever in his debt, land-healer. As I told him, I shall craft a gift for him, as a symbol of my gratitude.”

Edward smiled at him, shaking his head. “There is no needed.”

“I insist,” Hadrian shook his head. “It is the way of my people.”

The healer, Carlisle, turned to him with a curious look on his face, asked. “You said you are the prince of Atlantis? I have to say that I am extremely excited to know that your kind existed. May I know more?”

Hadrian noticed that everyone looked curious as well and he decided to indulge them, seeing no harm in telling the about it. They are vampires, not land-walkers and they are his rescuer’s family.

He make himself comfortable on the rectangle table and Edward wet his towels again and put them in the same positons as before with a vampire speed. “Very well. Long ago, there was a hidden society of witches and wizards among land-walkers that was once known as Muggles…”

~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~

Bella was talking, but Edward wasn’t paying attention to her as usual and he is lost in thoughts, thinking of Hadrian who have stayed with them since a month ago.

His family listened fascinated to the tales Hadrian spun for them, the stories of his people in the city of Atlantis and he transfigured the survivors he was with into merpeople, escaping to the sea. Carlisle have a thousand questions and Hadrian patiently answered him, as well as everyone, especially Alice and Emmett until the sun rise which out of the blue, he writhe in agony, his bloodcurdling scream startled everyone.

Edward remembered the horror and heart-stopping terror he felt at Hadrian’s scream. They watched him, unable to help him as he changed, his scales falling off, glittering, and his tail parted into two and his heart beat again to the surprise of Carlisle and after his transformation, he panted, gasping for air.

Hadrian then explained to them of his curse and how it would happen every single day until he found a way to unbind his magic and remove the cuff bracelets that are engraved with runes, thus removing the curse. Carlisle frowned and Esme looked at him in sympathy, whisking away to make him sandwiches since he is famished.

“Edward!” Bella’s irritated voice snapped Edward out of his trance and he turned to her, refused to look sheepish in front of her. Instead, he made his face innocent and confused.

“What is it?” he asked. Bella looked exasperated and irritated, much to the sadistic amusement of Rosalie who was inspecting her nails, looked up to smirk at the human. Jasper politely hide his grin with a napkin while Alice concentrate on the table, singing a Chinese song in her head, blocking him to see her visions, conversing with Emmett.

Bella huffed, her face flushed pink in embarrassment at his lack of attention in front of his family. “Weren’t you listening to me? I was asking if you will come to my house tonight since you almost never come to see me. What’s wrong with you, Edward?” she peered at his eyes and her eyes widened in surprise. “Your eyes are nearly black!” she whispered to him harshly. “When is the last time you ate?”

“I will hunt after school, don’t worry,” said Edward, annoyance tinted his tone. “I will be very busy, Bella. I don’t think I will come tonight again.”

Bella stared at him, her face looked hurt and disappointed. “Today is our anniversary. Didn’t you hear me when I suggested we go to the same Italian restaurant we once went to? Charlie will go fishing with his friends again, so he won’t be back until ten.”

Edward nearly growl in exasperation and he sighed. The soon he finish the dinner with Bella, the sooner he got to see Hadrian again. He couldn’t help but feel a wave of fondness for him.

“I will see you at seven,” he said, grudgingly. Bella smiled at him and he sighed again.

The bell rang, much to Edward’s relief–he ignored that Jasper shot him a knowing look–signaling their lunch’s over. He nearly ran out of his seat to his class and a flash of blond locks caught his eye, a flowery scent along with the coldness of a vampire’s scent hit his nose as his vain step-sister walked alongside him, basking in the way heads were turned in her way.

“She need to go,” murmured Rosalie, gave her manicured nails a quick look-over. Edward murmured back, exasperated and sad. “I know, but I love her.”

 _Do you?_ she thought to him and suddenly Edward was overwhelmed with images she showed to him, and he took it all in with vampire speed, images flashing in front of eyes.

_–Edward was smiling as Hadrian tell him how the Weasley twins tricked his Muggle cousin into eating their candy which turned his tongue to an unnatural length–_

–He faintly hear the light footsteps of his step-sister leaving him in the hallway–

– _He run his fingers through Hadrian’s hair as he lay there with his eyes closed, panting, wincing in the lingering aftermath of his painful transformation. He sneakily pressed a kiss on his forehead, felt guilty and pleasure at his friend’s ignorance of this–_

–Edward took an unnecessary sharp hitch of breath, barely heard the bell ring again, signaling that the class is starting and he doesn’t care that he is late. Rosalie shouldn’t have seen him, it was private!–

_–Hadrian’s peaceful face as he napped on Edward’s couch in his human form, the sight of him filled Edward’s chest with warmth he couldn’t decipher. He never felt anything like this in his entire life, it’s like the feeling he has for Bella, except it was more powerful and stronger than he has ever experienced–_

–He stilled, staring at the last image for a long time, his eyes frantically move around what the humans couldn’t see in his mind–

 _–Hadrian’s small, soft smile was directed at Edward as he turned around, ignorant of the brilliance of his smile and everyone looked shocked and pleased_ –

–Edward staggered back, gasping, his eyes widened in surprise. He felt as if his heart could burst out of his chest. He blinked rapidly, glancing down unseeing at the floor.

Surely Rosalie don’t mean to imply–? He shook his head sharply to shake the images away. Even if she does, it doesn’t mean he can act on it. He live on land, not in sea, regardless of his inability to breathe.

Eventually, Edward went to his class, absentmindedly apologized to his teacher for his tardiness, ignoring Bella’s whispered questions, opening his Biology book and stared at it with unseeing eyes.

An image of Hadrian’s small and soft smile lingered in his mind until the school’s over.

~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~

“You look nice,” complimented Edward and Bella flushed, embarrassed, but pleased at her choice at wearing a dark blue dress, stepped forward to slid her hand, wet with sweat, in his as he opened his car for her. She attempted to look graceful as she walk to it, but she stumble and quickly corrected herself, her face brilliant red when she got in the silver Volvo.

Edward ignored her embarrassment, knowing she couldn’t like it if he comment on it and he went to his side, sliding in smoothly as expected of his vampirism, turned his car on. It was only a few minutes when they arrive at the same restaurant he took Bella to there for her to calm down when he heard the gang’s plan to her when she walk alone in the dark.

He ordered a steak and a glass of wine while Bella ordered an Italian meal.

“So, Edward,” Bella begun. “What were you up to the past weeks? I almost never see you!”

Edward smiled tightly, guessing that she would ask that first. He have always been good at reading people and that trait carried to his vampiric life, which turned into a gift of literally read people’s minds. “As I’ve said, I was busy. There was a small issue, but my family handled it. Absence make a heart grow fonder, from what I’ve heard.”

“Yes,” she grumbled and then her face brightened. “Oh! I wanted to tell you that I have been meeting Jake and the others in their reservation. I hope you won’t mind since _you were too busy_. Seth just phased last week and he is incredibly excited to learn that his people’s tale is real. Leah is just as bitter as ever. I don’t know why everyone tolerate her. To me, she just bring everyone down with her comments.”

That explained the lingering scent of filthy mutts on her and Edward covered his nose when Bella leaned forward, the V-line of her dress lightly slipped down, nearly show her coverage. He doesn’t know whether if she does it on purpose or not, but regardless, he focused on her face.

“She’s so immature,” Bella was saying as she sipped her cup. “Thank you,” she said politely to a waiter who bowed at them when he bring their plates and left them.

Edward carefully cut his steak in half and swallowed one piece. “She is the first female shape-shifter to ever shift into a wolf. She’s bitter about Sam and his attraction to her cousin since he imprinted on her while they were lovers. She’s protective of her pack and loves them fiercely. She might be bitter, but she help others who phase for the first time. She is truly a headstrong woman.”

Bella looked at him oddly after she forked a salad in her mouth. There was a slightest jealously in her voice and he sensed that she tried to hide it as she commented. “It sounds like you admired her.”

Edward desperately wish to know her thoughts. It was getting frustrating every day.

He replied neutrally. “I don’t. I know this because I read her thoughts before.” Bella hummed at this and take another long drink of her glass, a few drops of water got on her throat, sliding down. He could hear her heart pulsing beat with anticipation and something else. He blinked, shifted around in his seat uncomfortably as the movement often put humans at ease and ate an half of the steak and a quick sip of the wine.

“Edward?” Bella’s voice is quiet and Edward suddenly got a sense of foreboding feeling.

“Yes?” he said, leaning back in his seat. His eyes lifted from the plate to meet Bella’s eyes. She looked almost sad and angry at the same time.

“Why don’t you want me to become a vampire?”

Edward sighed. “I told you, I don’t want you to damn your soul. You have so much to live for, Bella. You don’t have to leave your father. You only known me for a year and I don’t want you to regret turning into a vampire if we decided not to be together anymore. I will only accept if you graduate and marry me.”

“Marry me, then,” Bella said quickly. “I _love_ you, Edward.”

Edward shook his head. “I don’t want to marry you when you are a human. You are only seventeen–”

Bella interrupted him before he continue, whispering harshly. “ _I don’t want to wait._ I am tired of waiting, Edward and I am almost eighteen. I don’t want to be older than you. Let me be with you. I want to hunt with you and you always say that I can’t protect myself because I am fragile, but as a vampire, I can be strong and I will be able to protect myself then. We both know Victoria is still out there. Why wait while she is still out there?”

“She is only _one_ vampire and against seven of us, what can she do?” Edward said, leaning forward to emphasize his speech.

Bella glared at him. “And what about James? Remember how he tricked me into go meeting him?”

“You should have told us. We could have help you,” insisted Edward. Bella shook her head furiously. “No, you couldn’t. I thought he had my mother, Edward. I did what I thought was right.”

“We could have come up with a plan together, Bella. He might be a tracker, but we have Jasper and me, remember? With his experiences and my gift, we could have plotted to take him with him off-guard. You nearly gotten yourself _killed_!”

Bella sighed. “It could never have happened if I was a vampire.”

Edward shake his head with a scoff. “It could never have happened if you didn’t go after him by yourself. Did you truly believe that James will let your mother go? You are a _human_ , Bella. He was a tracker and Lauren warned us that once he set his sight on a prey, he never let it go. He liked to be challenged and you were a _challenge to him._ ”

Bella frowned, looking away. “It doesn’t matter now. The past is the past,” she said quietly. Edward closed his eyes for a long while and he then opened them to see her looked small in her seat, like a sulky child playing dress up with curly hair and make-up. She looks lovely, even with her plain looks. Her personality only make her shine brighter.

“It is as you’ve said. The past is the past,” repeated Edward and he looked down at the plate. He cut the half-eaten steak in few pieces and he ate a piece. Bella did the same.

“Let’s talk about something else. It is our anniversary, after all.” Edward murmured and Bella nodded in agreement. They sat there for a half an hour, the conversation between them was awkward and stiff, not as passionate and alive as it was moments ago.

Edward drive Bella home and she look out in the window, raindrops racing down and the sky is cloudy in the night and he can see stars shimmering beneath them. It was almost nine when they arrived at her home. She stayed in her seat when he got out and opened the door for her and she slowly stand up as she stepped out of the silver Volvo.

They walked together, the silence between them was straining. Bella touched the door knob and Edward turned around, intended to leave as soon as possible. He didn’t plan his dinner with her for so long.

“Edward?”

Edward turned around and Bella run to him awkwardly in her heels, she crashed onto him as she tripped, but he remained still, holding her arms.

“Yes, Bella?” he asked, gazed in her chocolate brown eyes as she breathed loudly, her breaths visible in the air. He rather felt than see her lifted herself on her toes, her mouth reaching his and they meet in halfway as Edward dipped his head out of habit.

Her lips is slightly chapped as always and her lip-gloss tastes of kiwi and strawberry. Her tongue is wet and warm, he can hear her heart thudding loud in her chest, her breath smelt of the Italian food she ate, her fragile hands wrapping around his neck.

Edward couldn’t help thinking of Hadrian as he kissed Bella. He imagined him in Bella’s place. What Hadrian could look like when he thoroughly kiss him, his icy hands run through his jet-black hair, to feel his soft-looking lips against him, to have his hands stroking his sides, with him nuzzling in his neck, inhaling his sweet scents of spring water, forest, and the musky smell of _Hadrian_ –

Bella backed away, gasping for air as she held his shoulders. “Whoa,” she looked dazed. “Somehow, you kiss better than before.” Edward stilled, knowing if he wasn’t a vampire, he would have blushed, fortunately for him, his cheeks remain pale. He was imaging he was kissing Hadrian not Bella. This is becoming problematic, he decided. It was Rosalie’s fault. If she hasn’t make him doubt–

“Edward,” he heard Bella whispered to him. “I love you.”

“I know,” he responded almost absentmindedly. “I love you too,” he added quickly, seeing her staring at him expectantly.

For some reasons, his words felt empty as his heart at the thought not being with Hadrian.


End file.
